


Painted Blue

by Starlancer



Category: Voltron - Fandom
Genre: Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Painter Lance (Voltron), Rebellious Lance, Tattoo Artist Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 09:16:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16910223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlancer/pseuds/Starlancer
Summary: Keith Kogane had been waiting at Universal Inks, the tattoo parlor that recently had been vandalized, waiting for a certain McClain to pick up some forgotten items.————————————————“Keep Going”“Huh?”





	Painted Blue

**Author's Note:**

> It’s me, Star (or Kookie)! I posted this originally on the Voltron Amino, but I figured I’d post it here as well since many people requested it as such. This is a one-shot, but I may continue it. I have the idea for a second chapter, but who knows.

It was curious, the way the tattoo artist held a paintbrush instead of a needle. You don’t really expect anyone to have a firm grasp on an object that they most likely never use. Instead of a silvery point staring up at him, it was thousands of tinted red horse hairs held together by a mere handle of wood. Used for paint; not ink. Something new. Perhaps it could’ve been a new beginning... But he set it down.

The paintbrush was left in the small, rustic tattoo parlor on the corner of a street categorized as the ‘ghetto edge’, along with a half gallon of ‘Lion Dancer’ paint; a rustic red colour. Presumably left by the apprentice painter that was here earlier; the apprentice had finished painting a wall that previously was vandalized. 

A few weeks beforehand, a few full-of-themselves teens had vandalized and stole from various shops on the outskirts of the town. ‘Universal Inks’ being one of them. The creator came up with the name while talking to her brother, and Keith had had always thought it was very uncreative at all. The parlor’s name synonym could be ‘Space Squids’, and frankly, Keith thought it was better than the name that the parlor was known by now. Perhaps if Keith sugar coated the name, He could get them to change it. He wasn’t even gonna try, but the little shop needed a new sign anyway. Those teens had thrown rocks at their signs as well, which had knocked it down and dented lots of it. Aside from the sign, supplies were broken and the inks were used for graffiti along the interior walls. Painting over the graffiti was the last thing they had done, other than their sign of course. And much to Keith’s dismay, the McClains were called for the job, and one of the teens got the job. The Cuban family was very opinionated with certain things. It were a surprise they even agreed at all. 

The McClain’s were a family of prestigious painters, so it were only reasonable to bring along their second eldest, Lance, to get more experience as an apprentice. The kid landed the job quite easily. For such a bigger and cocky family, a tattoo parlor was a laughing stock; a job worth nothing, even a child could do it. The McClain parents believed this was a place for run down drug addicts that wanted to taint their skin, and they most likely taught their children so as well.

As Keith moved the brush to the side, he couldn’t help but stare at it for a few more moments. Unbeknownst to him the power a brush could have, he only settled for the needle. He had a sort of addiction to the sliver of shiny material. It wasn’t drugs, no; although he did his fair share of ecstasy in the past. This needle injected his skin with red and black ink; the only colours the twenty year old tattoo artist allowed to taint his icy-pale skin.

In the background, Keith could hear the faint whirring from his tattooing machine, which brought his attention back to the task at hand. As he waited for the kid to come collect his paint brush, the ravenette continued working on the intricate tattoo of a bird, a Phoenix to be exact, that he had started previously on his shoulder. Mirrors were a godly thing for him at the moment. Through the mirror, he saw his reflection of course. Staring back at him was a sleep deprived, shirtless male with piercings on his brow, lip, ear and nose, along with a viscous lion constellation tattoo that stretched from his shoulder, up the length of his neck. The deep bags that graced his eyes were making a sharp appearance today, and helped complete the junkie aesthetic he unintentionally possessed that would scare children off. Plus, the street lights were piercing through the darkness outside, through the window and shining a yellow onto Keith’s petite and boney figure, which made him appear rustic himself. He was more focused on watching his hand move, though. It was mesmerizing. It were as if the needle were dancing with his fingers, leaving the trail of colours behind them. These colours bit into Keith’s skin ferociously, leaving their mark as if it were a victory to them. And it was, in a way. They had the power to paint his skin and to ward people off. As if to say his life was merely a ploy to litter their dark and sharp colours, advertising for others to taint their bodies the same way. 

The male’s thoughts evaded him once the door opened. It couldn’t go unnoticed; there were two dinky little bells attached to the top of the door that jingled whenever the door moved. Frankly, the noise caught him off guard. In a moment of his startled nature, the needle landed on the floor, and crushed beneath his foot as he jumped up. He quickly grimaced and shut the machine off as he inspected the broken needle. He’d just have to prepare a new one before tomorrow, no big deal. 

”Uh.. hello? You must be Mr. Kogane. I’m Lance, and I left some materials here? I’m used to leaving materials if it wasn’t finished.. I must’ve forgotten that I finished painting here.” The voice came from the Cuban teenager that had just entered the little shop. Keith was not in the mood for excuses, nor did he care at the moment. “Woah.. your tattoos.. do you do them yourself?” 

”Yeah.. I do. I don’t trust anyone else to come close to me with a needle. And you can call me Keith. I’m not very formal.” Keith was blunt, especially with the McClains. They seemed too snobby and proper for him, despite not knowing any personally. Lance McClain being here was supposed to be a quick thing. In and out. But alas... Lance got a little off course. Instead of marching over to collect his belongings, he quietly made his way over, to inspect the tattoos Keith had.

”Your art is beautiful.. authentic. A way better artist than me. But why only black and red? Your skin would definitely look kinder with a green or blue or something...” The Cuban muttered a bit. Keith finally looked over at the boy. The sharp blue of his eyes captured the pale boy off guard. If he studied the boy enough, he’d most definitely be able to sketch out his figure.. with the only colour to be Lance’s eyes. He was captivated by them.. if he looked hard enough, Keith would probably be able to see the the universe in the teen’s eyes. From this moment, he could feel himself painted blue. Not just red and black now. Black had mapped out his life and the two colours helped fill in the shape. Blue would fit so perfectly as well, now that Keith fully thought about it. Maybe he did need a blue.

”Well you just paint walls. No patterns. So I’d hope I’d be a better artist than that. And I prefer those two colours.” Keith had finally broken his stare. He had the important of Lance memorized. His eyes, hair and face shape. “Was there something else you needed? Your things are to the left.” The young artist gestured to his side, where the painting supplies were located. Keith didn’t exactly mind Lance being here since he had nothing of priority to attend to, but it was late, and getting the McClain’s upset with Lance being out so late wasn’t on Keith’s ‘To Do’ list. 

”I think you should add more colour though. And I.. actually.. could you give me a tattoo? Along my spine?” The tone of which the second eldest McClain asked was a very quiet and shy one. It was an unusual request for a McClain. Keith needed a moment to process it, honestly. He just stood there for a few moments, and he must’ve looked insane or strange.

”A McClain with a tattoo? Your fair darker skin littered with ink? Your parents would ruin our business after they found out. I don’t think so, kid.” The ravenette wasn’t afraid of the prestigious family, so to speak. He just wasn’t about to start a dispute between him and their family. 

Keith was planning on standing his ground with this. Perhaps Lance would just take that as the answer and leave now. But of course that wasn’t the case. “I’m not like my parents. They won’t let me study astronomy. Won’t let me decide for myself. All I ask is for the phases of the moon along my spine. Could you perhaps do that for me?”

Damn, how could he say no? He didn’t know how that felt; to have parents looming over him. After he ran away from his ‘home’, he could do whatever he wanted.. and he wanted to do art. As a tattoo artist, his art could be kept with him always. On his own body and on others. He would love to leave his art on Lance’s beautiful skin. The colours would most likely merge together nicely with the fair skin of the Cuban. “Fine, whatever. I hope you’re not busy tonight. This could take and hour or so.” Keith finally agreed to it. To get on with it though, he needed to prepare the ink and such. As he prepared the supplies he ordered Lance around. “Take your shirt off and lay on your stomach. In the chair, of course.” And Lance did so.

As Keith turned back around, facing Lance, he sort of froze for a moment. Lance was pretty lanky, but his skin was flawless. Keith especially loved the freckles that littered Lance’s lower back and shoulders. He took his time analyzing Lance’s back as he leaned over the male, doing nothing but inspecting for a few moments; before remembering his reason for looking at the teen’s back. This leading him back to focus on the task he agreed to. He decided positions and the different phases, keeping Lance’s request fresh in his mind. Tomorrow, Keiths fingers would dance to the tune of ‘Game Over’ by Falling in Reverse as they would leave various, colourful trails to detail a dragon tattoo, placed on the bicep of the female that requested the commission. But as for now, his fingers would learn to dance in silence as he started outlining the several moons. He didn’t have to look up photos to see the details of the moon. He loved space as well. He used to study celestial objects and keep up with NASA’s news, but he got distracted. First by drugs, then by his artwork, and now by his job. He always loved doing astronomical tattoos because of it, though. It could have also played a part in why Keith agreed to take part in this daunting task. But altogether, he didn’t necessarily mind.

The only sounds came from the machine and a few occasional cars whizzing by, this creating a serene setting in the run down parlor. Lance was taking this pretty well, though. He only winced when the needle got close or onto sensitive nerves, and that was expected. It stayed like this for a few more moments; quiet with the various calming noises that sounded around the two as Keith tattooed the basic outlines of the moon phases along a perfect spine.

”Will you tell me about yourself? Like, for example, how you got here?” The painter asked, directing the question at the tattoo artist. Keith wasn’t expecting to engage in a conversation with the teen. But then again, he also hadn’t expected to be tattooing the McClain teenager, or even be in the parlor this late in general. But things sorta just happen.

“I walked here. My motorbike is getting fixed.” The junkie look alike exclaimed sarcastically. He knew perfectly well what Lance was actually asking, but Keith wasn’t a guy to be kind and keep things easy. Perhaps Lance picked up on that.. but with small talk questions like that, there was a big possibility that the Cuban didn’t notice it.

He didn’t. Lance didn’t notice the sarcasm. “You know what I meant! I mean in this business. Tattoos. This small parlor.” This left Keith in a position where he’d either have to stay blunt or say nothing. Perhaps the kid needed an answer though? Or maybe Keith just felt comfortable with the Cuban teenager. Whatever it was, it made him way more talkative than average. Keith usually kept to himself; only having one real friend by the name of Takashi Shirogane. He spilled everything with the other adult. His childhood, his thoughts, his experiences. It was honestly something he only did with Shiro.. so why was he about to do it with Lance? 

”I’m here because my parents didn’t care for me. Well.. maybe they just died, I don’t know. I grew up in an orphanage. Everything was fine at first. But when I reached the age of twelve, people weren’t interested in knowing what the hell I was doing. So I went to some parties with an old.. friend. Got hooked on ecstasy tablets after he spiked my drink with it..” Keith’s voice trailed off. Lance probably didn’t want to hear his whole life story. It wasn’t supposed to be a pity party; Keith wanted nothing to do with pity. He didn’t want it. His fingers kept working hypnotically along Lance’s spine in silence. 

“Keep going.”

”Huh?”

”I want to hear the rest too.” This reply reminded Keith of Shiro when they first met. Keith picked up on little hints that this would be his next ‘real’ friend. Or perhaps a potential one at least.

”I eventually was getting high and drunk, spending most of my nights on the streets. I never went back to the orphanage, and I guess they didn’t really look. But once you get hooked on a drug, you’re most likely gonna go on to worse drugs. Eventually ecstasy wasn’t working as well as it used to. So I tried pain killers and morphine. Eventually I got stuck on LSD. Easiest thing for me to obtain. Then one night I was high on LSD in the ally across the street. Mind you I was around sixteen at this time. Shiro, the new owner of the parlor, found me. He helped me get through some wicked ass withdrawals. I’m sure I almost died plenty of times... but ever since then, I’ve been clean and he had cared for me as a brother would. For that I’m grateful. I never enrolled back into school though. I’m just lucky I’m a good artist and landed this job.” Keith explained. The male explained a lot, but he didn’t wan to delve into major details or facts. This shorter rendition should have been enough to quench Lance’s curiosity for the time being. As he told his story, he managed to start adding in a few grays and blues to Lance’s moons. The pale colours gave Lance’s skin a compliment. It looked rather nice, if Keith said so himself. Kogane has always been a bit cocky with his art though. He absolutely needed it to be perfect, or he would stress over it. Especially if it was a tattoo. But Keith was good at keeping his cool. 

Speaking of ‘staying cool’, Lance was on the verge of breaking his. Inside the several moons on his back were where the nerves seemed to have gather. Whenever the ink releasing needle brushed slightly near a vein, Lance would make a little noise and wince of pain. As time went on, the boy slowly got the feel for it; deeming it not as bad as he thought it’d be. Lance surely must’ve known that his parents would find out eventually, but as for now, it was just a calming thing for Lance. He could forever keep an element of space with him at all times. Even if it were just a drawing or tattoo, he counted it as a space element. 

By the time Keith finished, Keiths fingers were aching a bit. He always had a weird way of holding his pens, but now it effected him. Keith had too many thoughts that distracted him from adjusting his grip whilst he previously worked along Lance’s spine. This wouldn’t show to be too big of a problem though, considering Keith knew how to handle his cramps. All he really had to do was calmly massage where it ached, and usually the aching seceded. His fingers were no different. So as of now, he massaged his fingers attentively. “McClain, it’s completed.” He stated as he went off explaining general things to Lance such as not submerging it for a few weeks, to not let it dry and things of that sort. He eventually got to Lance himself seeing it, although since Keith couldn’t directly help position mirrors at the moment, Lance was sort of a smart cookie. Lance stood and figured out a way to look at his spine through a mirror or two. With a little help from minor flexible abilities. 

The colours really did contrast Lance’s skin nicely, although right now his skin was red from irritation, it will most definitely be beautiful in the end. He felt as if he and space were connected somehow. To sum it up, Lance loved it. Perhaps he’d be able to touch the real moon someday. Once he figured a way out of his family business. “Thank you.. It’s wonderful. I love it.” 

Keith smiled a bit at the teens reaction. He liked pure reactions to the tattoos he gave people, and it was usually from younger people’s. “Anytime. And.. that one is free. You’ve payed enough in labor this week.” It really was true. Lance had painted the walls, cabinets, and even the counter. It created a nice aesthetic, though. Keith’s statement signaled that Lance should get going. His mamá would be upset he was out so late as it is. So Lance put his shirt back on as means of signaling Keith that he was going and he wouldn’t pester Keith further.

Lance smiled over at Keith as he finally grabbed the belongings he left here. The tattoo artist took the opportunity to study Lance one more time. Perhaps they’d see eachother on the street, but Keith wanted to remember Lance. Especially those eyes. The artist watched the young McClain usher himself out of the parlor and out of view.

Right after, Keith prepared his needle again. He wanted to finish the Phoenix. It was the main reason he agreed to wait for Lance. He was given an opportunity to finish his tattoo, so that was just what he is going to do. Once the machine started whirring to life, Keith’s fingers started dancing with the needle. They left trails of colour that mapped out where they danced. But instead of the red that dyed Keith’s skin, it was a blue. A lighter and more vibrant blue. 

Lance’s blue.


End file.
